Day l : Initiation One

Welcome in Romania, whose folklore has miraculously survived and rules capital events of life. A senior member of the Transylvanian Society of Dracula will hand you the “Transylvanian Diplomas” – to be stamped along the way.

Your first initiation is a documentary film, the contents of which are reserved for Twilight Zoners.

• Arrive in Bucuresti, capital of Romania
• Transfer to your hotel
• Welcoming cocktail, documentary film
• Dinner and overnight in Bucuresti

Day 2 : A place thick with shadows

Drive across the Danubian plain to the foothills of the Carpathians, to Targoviste – mediaeval capital of Valahia (Southern province of Romania). Visit the ruins of the Princely palace. One of the 36 princes here was Vlad the Impaler-Dracula, whose name was appropriated by Bram Stoker to baptize his vampire-count.

Many are the legends recalling Vlad's reign in Targoviste, dramatic stories of survival, revenge, might and shrewdness.

Then follow into the route of the convoy of traitor nobles and their families – to Poienari, the fortress rebuilt by Vlad with the labour of his enemies: the historical fortress Dracula.

Poienari has its own dramatic stories, remembered by a village across the hill: Aref.

Tonight, around a bon-fire, 30 farmers in the same folk costumes as in Vlad's time, will tell you the stories they know about the Prince, and sing and dance the same songs and dances that Vlad must have seen. A dive of 500 years.

• breakfast; departure to Targoviste
• refreshments; visit the Princely palace, Targoviste
• lunch, then continue to Curtea de Arges
• arrive at the foot of fortress Poienari
• drive to the village of Aref
• initiation show: “The Night of Prince Vlad the ImpalerDracula”
• dinner and overnight in farm-houses with bathrooms, hot water, toilets – in Aref

Day 3 : The Escape

In the summer of 1462, Sultan Mohammed II (conqueror of Constantinopole) failed to defeat Vlad Dracula. Valahia was burning. The Sultan retreated hastily and Vlad wanted to follow and finish him. Vlad's generals advised that an honourable peace would be better than a continuation of the war, the country was starving, the lands unploughed.

Vlad could not persuade his generals, who sided with his brother, Radu – who promised a quick, favourable peace. The Prince retreated in his fortress of Poienari, followed by his wife and a few soldiers. At night, looking down from the battlements, Vlad saw himself surrounded by circles of fire from the Ottoman detachment which sneaked behind him.

This was when the Arefeans stepped in. They took the Prince out of the besieged fortress, along the river Arges, across the high Carpathians, to the safety of Transylvania.

Today, follow into the footsteps of Vlad Dracula, fish your trout, pick your berries and roast your food, in the forested mountains.

• breakfast; climb to the fortress of Poienari
• cross creeks and woods ; fish. Picnic, bon-fire
• dinner and overnight: “Valea cu Pesti” chalet

Day 4 : Transylvania

On the crest of the Carpathians, with Valahia on one side and Transylvania on the other, Prince Vlad asked for a rabbit-skin and gave the Arefeans 16 mountains as pastureland. A document issued 100 years later, by Prince Mircea Ciobanul, confirmed the property of the Arefeans over their 16 mountains “as given from before, by Prince Vlad”. No wonder Aref remembers Vlad Dracula after 500 years.

Behold Transylvania from a height of 2000 metres, then wind your way down amid awesome scenery. The “lakes above the city of Hermanstadt (Sibiu)”, where Scholomancers learnt their trade, are yours to see.

• breakfast; continue to climb into the Carpathians
• the Scholomance lakes; cross into Transylvania
• arrive in mediaeval Sibiu
• elements of Scholomancing with Sibiu folklorists
• dinner and overnight in Sibiu

Day 5 : The Witch-trial

After a sightseeing of Sibiu, proceed to the fortified church of Biertan (under UNESCO care); a 4-th century cross was found under the floor.

Sighisoara is the best-preserved 15 century walled town in Europe; although Valahian, Prince Vlad Dracula was born here, in 1431.

Witness a Witch-trial as performed by 25 actors in period costumes. Sighisoara, other Catholic parts of Transylvania, had their share of this dramatic event in our history as humans.

• breakfast; tour of mediaeval Sibiu
• departure to Biertan, visit the fortified church
• lunch in Biertan; continue to Sighisoara
• visit Prince Vlad's birth-house, other sites
• initiation show: “The Witch-trial”
• dinner and overnight in Sighisoara

Day 6 : Castle Dracula. The Witch of the Count

Cross the buffer-zone prior to Count Dracula's domain. Prince Vlad dims out into history; the Count arises from darkness, nightmares, fear.

“If you ask me if I believe in vampires in the daytime, I would say it is not true; but if you ask me at night, my answer may be different” (Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, US writer, creator of the vampire St. Germain).

Arrive at a hotel in Bistritza, just like Jonathan Harker did a century ago, in the pages of Bram Stoker's “Dracula”. Take the same meal, the same wine as Harker's.

Continue to the Centre of the draculistic world, to the Borgo Pass and to the castle of the vampire-count.

Call on the witch of the Count for a Scholomancer's experience. The old, wise woman lives alone at the edge of a wood. Her humble house, her potato field, the strawberries are visited by stags and bears.

Arrive at Castle Dracula.

• breakfast; drive to Bistritza
• “Jonathan Harker's lunch” at hotel
• the Witch of the Count
• dinner and overnight at Castle Dracula; visit the castle (“You may go anywhere about the castle except where the doors are locked” – the Count to Jonathan Harker)
• optional: masque-ball
• optional: reception as member of the Transylvanian Society of Dracula

Day 7 : The magic door closes

Some of the powers of the Scholomancer are now stored in your mind. Such treasures of the Past deepen the humanity and broaden everyone*s horizon.

This is a day of the peace of mind. Let the shadows melt into their Realm and resume your place among the living.

• the survivors should stamp their “Transylvanian Diplomas”;
• breakfast
• drive South, past Sighisoara, to the second large city of mediaeval Transylvania - Brasov.
• sightseeing of Brasov; free in the city, shopping
• optional: join the Order of Transylvanian Knights (passing 6 chivalry tests)
• mediaeval banquet at “Cetate”, with floor-show
• overnight in Poiana Brasov

Day 8 : Farewell, Twilight Zoners!

• Early departure to the airport in Bucuresti
• Departure from Romania

Excerpt:
The Company of Mysterious Journeys will penalize the tourists who renounce their bookings as follows (subtracting bank-transfer charges):
1) for cancellation of 30 and more days before the tour start: full refunding (minus banking charges)
2) for 29-21 days cancellation: 30% penalty
3) for 20-14 days cancellation: 50% penalty
4) for 13-7 days or less cancellation: 100% penalty in favour of the CMJ.